Psalm 68:3-7
But let the righteous be joyful; let them exult before God; let them be jubilant with joy.
Sing to God, sing praises to his name; lift up a song to him who rides upon the clouds—his name is the Lord— be exultant before him.
Father of orphans and protector of widows is God in his holy habitation.
God gives the desolate a home to live in; he leads out the prisoners to prosperity, but the rebellious live in a parched land.
O God, when you went out before your people, when you marched through the wilderness,
the earth quaked, the heavens poured down rain at the presence of God, the God of Sinai, at the presence of God, the God of Israel.
John 14:15-21, 27
”If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever.This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you.
”I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live. On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them.” Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.
IN THE NAME OF OUR SAVIOR WHO HAS DEFEATED DEATH, DEAR FAMILY AND FRIENDS OF DONALD DODGE.
When I was a very little girl, I remember being at a family gathering playing in the basement with my cousins. I ran upstairs for something and at the top of the steps, I was met by my great Uncle Donald who looked at me and casually said: “Okay, Laura, I paid your daddy the dime for you so you’re going home with me.” Being too young to know it was once of his many jokes, I whirled around and ran back down the stairs as fast as my little legs would take me. He laughed and laughed at me and never did let me live that one down.
That’s one of my first memories of Uncle Donald. And I smile at each and every memory of him, as I know you do too. It was great to hear stories from his great grandaughter, Lucie. Donald was so eager to offer a joke, a witicism, a laugh or just that big delightful grin of his.
In Proverbs, we read: “a cheerful heart is a good medicine, but a downcast spirit dries up the bones.” (Proverbs 17:22) All of Donald’s friends, children, grand children, and great grandchildren were given a dose of good medicine whenever they encountered him. He was ever sharing his cheerful heart and cheering us all along the way. When you were in his presence, you were lifted.
Donald was certainly a person who lived out the joy of the Lord. He really walked the walk because he knew his Savior. In the Psalm we just heard, it says: "let the righteous be joyful; let them exult before God; let them be jubilant with joy." This does speak of Donald, doesn’t it? He was ever jubilant with joy. From this joyfulness, he was so caring, serving and all-around wonderful.
But when a person of jubilant joy departs, we feel a profound loss. Not that we thought we’d have him forever—we nearly did—but somehow the end still feels too soon. We need God’s help.
And for you Karen and Cindy, this is especially hard. You’ve lost your last remaining parent. It may feel—even at your age—that you’ve been orphaned. How do you go on without your parents? Jesus’ disciples felt this way too when he announced that he would be going to be with the Father. And so he assured them that he would not leave them. That’s what we heard in the Gospel reading this morning: I will not leave you orphaned. No, he promised that he would come to them and make his home with them and give them peace, even in the midst of distress. This reading closes with one of the most beautiful passages in the bible. Jesus says: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.”
This beautiful peace beyond what the world can give is what our beloved Donald has now entered into. He is surrounded in glorious light, joy and peace. And Jesus promises us that same peace here as we continue our journey on earth. It is the peace of God that passes all understanding. Because we’ve been given the gift of this peace, we musn’t be afraid. Our hearts need not be troubled. We have God’s peace.
Therefore, our mourning, though deep, is only temporary. The Psalmist declares to the Lord, “You have turned my mourning into dancing; you have taken off my sackcloth and clothed me with joy!” This is good news to all of us who mourn. The God we love will transform our mourning so much so that not only will we be okay, we’ll be dancing! Because we know that death is but a gateway to eternal life, because we know we will one day be reunited with Donald and all those we love who have gone before, because Jesus Christ has died for us, we can rejoice. Even now. Even as we mourn. Yes, we can and should faithfully rejoice. I know Donald would want it that way.
I’m a Lutheran minister so I have to sneak in a quote from Martin Luther and here it is. He wrote: “If you’re not allowed to laugh in heaven, I don’t want to go there.” I know Donald agreed with that sentiment. Yes, should rejoice even in our sorrow because we know our sackcloth will eventually come off and we’ll be clothed with joy, but Donald has already been clothed with joy. Completely. He is so full of the joy of the Lord right now that he must be laughing. I can only imagine how full his belly laugh is right now. I can only imagine how happy he was to take his beloved wife, Lucille, back into his arms and laugh together with her again. I can only imagine how they’ve both been lifted up on eagle’s wings, how they shine like the sun in God’s eternal kingdom. Oh, if we just picture them in our minds’ eye for a moment, we cannot help but smile.
This is why we may have tears today but it is really a day of celebration. We celebrate the happy, loving life of Donald Dodge. We celebrate the multitude of things that he meant to us. We celebrate how he enriched and changed our lives with the cheerfulness medicine he dished out daily. We celebrate the fact that his ours and we are his and so we’ll always have him in our hearts. And most of all, we celebrate the God who created Donald, saved him and gave him joy—joy that never never ends.
Now may the peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.
